Magazine on Icelandic design and architecture

All posts filed under: Interior Design

The chess match played between Bobby Fischer and Boris Spassky in Reykjavik on July 11, 1972 is without a doubt one of the most famous ever played. The duel, dubbed “Match of the Century” by the New York Times, was not only a battle between two men, but a showdown between the two superpowers of the age: the United States and the Soviet Union. With the Cold War at its frostiest, the two empires met each other halfway for a tense skirmish in Iceland. At the time, the title of World Chess Champion had been held by a citizen of the USSR for an unprecedented twenty-four years, and the Soviets felt it proof of their intellectual and ideological superiority. Consequently, the stakes were high for the United States, and enormous expectations lay on the shoulders of the young eccentric Bobby Fischer. The gracious hosts, too, were under pressure, as for the first time, the eyes of the world rested upon Iceland. Now was the time for erecting a stage fit for major players. The world …

The name Kristín Guðmundsdóttir has not had a prominent place in Icelandic design history, despite the fact that she was the first Icelander to educate herself abroad in interior design. Author: Halldóra Arnardóttir / Photographer: David Frutos Kristín, who chose to call herself híbýlafræðing [home expert], paved the way for the designers that came after. She pioneered many innovations in interior design, especially with regard to kitchen facilities and the use of color schemes. While it is still possible to find original fixtures designed by Kristín, unfortunately many were torn down. In a new book, Kristín Guðmundsdóttir, híbýlafræðingur/interior designer, which is soon to be published, Kristín finally receives the recognition she deserves as a pioneer in her field. So who was this notable woman? Kristín Guðmundsdóttir (born 1923) was the first Icelander to educate herself in interior design at university level. In June 1943 she stepped aboard the ship Brúarfoss, which made its way across the Atlantic Ocean, docking in New York. Travelling from Iceland to New York took a month, with a stop in …